Council working to protect Royal Hotel in Ashby

Officers from North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) are working with the owners of the Royal Hotel in Ashby de la Zouch to secure the long term future of the Grade II listed building.

The hotel closed in March due to financial pressures and the need for investment to bring the building up to modern standards.

The council is involved to make sure no damage is done to the building while it is closed and to support the owners – Oakland Hotels Limited - to bring it back into use as soon as possible.

Whilst no major concerns were raised about the condition of the building during its initial inspection, the authority’s conservation officer will inspect the building every month to ensure the heritage asset is maintained in a decent condition while the hotel is closed.

To keep the building safe the owners have installed CCTV across the site to monitor both the building and the car park, boarded up the windows and installed fencing around the whole site.

They have an aspiration to renovate the building and the site. NWLDC will consider any application for development when it is submitted.

Councillor Trevor Pendleton, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Planning at NWLDC said: “The Royal Hotel is an important heritage asset in Ashby so we will do whatever we can to protect it. We’re speaking regularly to the owners and visiting the site to make sure the building is secure and kept in a good condition while the hotel is closed.

“I’d like to reassure local people that we are working to protect this important building and make sure it has a future.”

Simon Dawson, Director of Oakland Hotels Ltd., said: “We are committed to protecting the Royal Hotel and that means bringing it back into use as soon as possible. We are working hard to prepare a suitable scheme so that the hotel can re-open and be viable in the long term. We understand that local people value the building and commit to keeping the town and district councils involved as we firm up our plans.”